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New Rev skill: the Revolution Reflex ground zero hand launch by Revolution Kites

The ground zero hand launch, a hand launch unique to the Reflex: throwing the Rev like a spear, flat or even towards the ground, and letting it climb thanks to ground effect.

From the series Launching. Transcript by QuadKites.org.

New Rev skill: the Revolution Reflex ground zero hand launch by Revolution Kites

Key takeaways from this video

  • Hold both handles in one hand, ready to separate them, grab the wing by the tip and the centre, and throw it like a spear.
  • Without the Reflex, choose an angle of about 45 degrees to the wind and throw slightly upward; check that the bridles are clear and that you are not standing on the lines.
  • With the Reflex, the wing generates lift as it moves through the air: you can throw it flat, or even towards the ground, and it climbs.
  • Close to the ground, a cushion of air, the ground effect, carries the Reflex Rev instead of letting it pass through.

Transcript

  1. The ground zero hand launch

    0:00

    Hi, I'm Joe Hadzicki, inventor of the Revolution. The Reflex design allows for a whole range of special skills that will take your Rev flying to a whole new level, especially in light winds. Here's one of my favorite Reflex skills: the ground zero hand launch. Let's take a quick look at the hand launch without the Reflex. Pop your Reflex, grab your handles. I have the right hand on top, so I'm ready to split them apart to fly. Grab the tip like a spear and grab the center.

  2. Choosing the launch angle

    1:03

    Now you see how the wing is flopping up and down. That has to do with the wind direction. The wind is blowing in this direction, and if I hold it like this, it's blowing the wing up from behind. If I rotate all the way around, it's basically floating flat in the wind. So I want to pick a direction about halfway between those two. Here it is flopping up, here it is lying flat; 45 degrees, right about there. Grab it on the tip, and we're going to toss it like a spear. We're going to give it a little upward toss, because it's just going to drop as it floats. So here goes.

  3. Things to watch out for

    1:44

    There are a few things to watch out for. Check to make sure your bridles are clear, and make sure you're holding it in the center. There you go. Oops, I stepped on the lines. Be careful not to throw it too high, and don't throw it too low either; it also won't make it out to the end of the lines.

  4. Launching with the Reflex

    2:15

    The Reflex wing is different: as it flies through the air, it generates lift. This is what it looks like with the Reflex design. You don't have to actually throw it up; you can just throw it flat, and the Reflex will cause it to rise at the end. It looks like this. The Reflex effect actually allows us to throw our Rev down toward the ground and it will rise up. It looks like this.

  5. Using ground effect

    3:03

    But wait, it gets even better than that. We can use an aerodynamic phenomenon called ground effect. As your Rev comes in and flies low to the ground, a cushion of air forms underneath it that actually holds your Rev up. Next time you're on an airplane coming in for a landing, you'll feel this just before your plane lands. Without the Reflex installed, your Rev will cut through that cushion of air, but with the Reflex installed, watch this: ground effect. So now the only question is how low can you go.

Keep going

In the series Launching — Revolution Kites tutorials

  1. The Revolution launch: 6 key techniques
  2. Launching and spinning your Revolution like a pro
  3. The Revolution hand launch: how to
  4. Light wind launch technique
  5. Guarantee success on your first Revolution launch
  6. New Rev skill: the Revolution Reflex ground zero hand launch — you are here

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